SPORTS WAGER-FANTASY CONTEST
SB2145 would substantially expand and reorganize Illinois law governing online sports wagering and fantasy contests. On the sports wagering side, it would authorize licensees to offer interstate pool wagering to Illinois patrons when the pool is also lawful in every participating jurisdiction, and it would revise the master sports wagering licensing framework for internet and mobile operators. The bill replaces the current model that calls for three master licenses issued through an open competitive process with a broader licensing structure, lowers the application fee to $250,000, sets the initial license fee at $15 million, and keeps the license term at four years with a $1 million renewal fee.
The bill also creates a new regulatory regime for fantasy contests under the Sports Wagering Act. It defines fantasy contests, requires fantasy contest operators to be licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board, sets a $50,000 application fee and a $500,000 initial license fee, requires applicants and key persons to meet suitability standards, and imposes operational rules such as age verification, geolocation, anti-money-laundering controls, audits, recordkeeping, and responsible-gaming disclosures. It further establishes a graduated privilege tax on fantasy contest receipts beginning July 1, 2025, with rates ranging from 20% to 40% depending on revenue level. The bill also makes conforming changes to the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and the Criminal Code of 2012, including clarifying that sports wagering conducted under the Sports Wagering Act is exempt from the criminal gambling prohibition.
SB2145 would amend the Sports Wagering Act, the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, and the Criminal Code of 2012. It would expand the Illinois Gaming Board’s authority to regulate both online sports wagering and fantasy contest operators, create new licensing and enforcement provisions, establish new fee and tax obligations, and add emergency rulemaking authority to speed implementation. It would also expressly carve fantasy contests out of the criminal gambling definition when conducted under the Act and confirm that lawful sports wagering remains exempt from gambling prohibitions.
Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears pro-expansion and pro-regulation: it seeks to legalize and formalize additional wagering products while imposing a detailed oversight framework. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided materials, there is no direct evidence of legislative support or opposition from hearings or floor action. The overall tone of the bill is regulatory and revenue-oriented, with significant emphasis on licensing, integrity controls, and consumer protections.
The main points of contention likely involve the scope of gambling expansion, the shift away from the current three-license competitive model for online sports wagering, and the new taxation and licensing burdens on fantasy contest operators. Operators may object to the high fees, the 20% to 40% tax structure, and the Board’s broad discretion over qualification and rulemaking. Consumer advocates or public-health stakeholders may focus on the bill’s age restrictions, self-exclusion provisions, and anti-fraud safeguards, while opponents of expanded wagering may object to authorizing interstate pools and bringing fantasy contests under state gaming regulation.